Page 40 of Too Lethal to Love

She twirled. A giggle slipped from her mouth as she grasped his arms to steady herself. “It’s amazing how gracefully you move on your steel leg.”

The dark-blue flecks in his eyes pulsed like strobe lights. “I thought you were talking about how gracefully I dropped to my knees in front of you earlier.”

Desire flowed between her thighs at the idea of him doing it again. “Is every male at Project VIPER so damn arrogant?”

“We cheated death and came back as super soldiers, so yeah, we’re a bunch of cocky pricks sometimes.”

She blocked out thecheated deathpart and focused on thecame back.If he could learn to come back from losing his leg from whatever hell he’d endured, learn to not just walk, but to fight, to live again, then maybe she could accept she wasn’t cursed.

But what if you are?

For the first time, she addressed the lies that choked her in cobwebs.

But what if I’m not?

“Kane, I need to tell you something before we go to the party.”

Those dark flecks blazed even hotter. “Anything, sugarplum.”

Her heart punched against her rib cage as those thick cobwebs wrapped around her belly. “What I’m about to tell you is going to sound far-fetched. Actually, it’s going to sound insane.”

“According to most of the population, the idea of a real-life super soldier is crazy. I’m only supposed to exist in a comic book.”

“Yet here you are.” And here she was, for the first time daring to believe he wouldn’t laugh at her. As she fought for words, his phone chimed with an alert she recognized. She stiffened. “That’s the security company.”

His gaze turned icy blue as he pulled out his phone and studied the screen. An agonizing heartbeat later, he held up the device. “Recognize this guy?”

The knot in her gut eased as she watched a familiar figure walk up the pathway to the house. “That’s Jerry from next door. Rita’s husband.”

“Go into the kitchen and stay there.”

“But, Kane, it’s just Jerry.”

“Go.”

Kane waited until Beth darted to the kitchen before he opened the door enough to eye the eighty-something-year-old man on the other side. “Can I help you?”

Jerry eyed him up and down through his wire-framed glasses. “Are you Beth’s new boyfriend?”

“Yes, sir. Lieutenant Kane Darren.”

“Good to meet you, son.” Jerry scratched his bald spot. “The wife and I were afraid she’d never date again.” He pulled a plain white envelope from his pocket. “I saw my mailbox was open, so I went out to close it and found this.” He held out the missive with Beth’s name typed on it.

Kane’s skin tightened as he opened the door farther and took the delivery. “Did you see who left it?”

“Nope.” Jerry reached out his hand. “Thank you for your service. Be good to our Beth.”

“Will do, sir. Thank you.”

Beth emerged from the kitchen and ran to his side. Her hand shook as she took the envelope from him. Fuck, he hated to see her scared.

“Let me.” If he could take every burden from her, he would.

He opened the envelope. The color drained from her face as she stared at the white sheet of paper with the number four typed in a big, bold font in the center.

The names of the three men in the graveyard rattled in Beth’s head like a death roll.

Matthew—One

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